9.19.2005

John was sleeping out in the back yard when I got up yesterday morning. His power wheelchair was plugged in, recharging, as it often is when he's here.

The first thing you notice about John is that his legs are missing, just below the knees. He has prosthetic legs that he can walk on, in a kind of lurching way that seems uncomfortable for him. I don't know John's story, but I've seen him here often, helping out at the soup kitchen, cleaning up and mopping. Friday he was clearing the table while I ate. But he didn't have his legs on. He was moving around the table on his knees, taking people's plates when they were done and wiping the place clean for the next person. Quietly, on his knees.